State agencies, food banks, and food pantries play an important role in supporting nutrition security in low-income households, including households that follow halal dietary laws. This page outlines strategies that program operators can implement to better serve halal-observant households.
Many Muslims will forego accepting foods to adhere to religious dietary practices, therefore it is important to connect with leaders in the local Muslim community to gain a better understanding of the certifications and practices acceptable to your recipients. Halal observant recipients need to trust that their local food pantry or food bank values the integrity of halal practices, which reassures them that the food meets their dietary standards.
Building Trust with Halal Program Recipients
While separate storage of foods in their original containers is not a requirement, it is a best practice that provides halal-observant program recipients with enhanced trust in program operators.
Consistently storing halal foods separate from non-halal foods shows program recipients your commitment to respecting their cultural dietary needs and provides them with a reliable, trustworthy shopping experience.
Tips
- General Best Practices
- Clearly label shelves, pallets, and designated areas where halal foods are displayed to distinguish them from non-halal foods.
- Working with leaders in the local Muslim community for support, educate volunteers and staff on how to properly check product labels for halal certifications and how to display halal certified products.
- Communicate across the food bank network to better understand the halal certifications your recipients will accept, the inherently halal foods that are acceptable, and the types of foods requested to ensure program recipients only receive foods they can consume.
- Warehouse Storage
- Separation of pallets of halal certified foods from non-halal foods is preferred but not required.
- Educate staff on the strategies in place to clearly identify halal foods throughout the receiving, storing, and distribution phases.
- Shelf Stocking
- Canned goods and shelf-stable grains such as rice can be stored in the same area as non-halal items if the halal items are clearly labeled, however, recipients may prefer separate areas for halal certified foods.
- Separate reach in refrigerators should be used for halal foods if possible. If not, use partitions and clear labels to identify the shelves or sections of the reach in refrigerators designated for halal certified foods.
- Distribution
- Identify strategic and respectful ways to serve recipients who need halal certified foods, such as pre-packing bags with only the halal certified foods available or identifying local resources, in addition to TEFAP, that support halal observant families.
- Consider allowing halal observant recipients to take more halal certified foods in place of the items they cannot take.
- Inherently Halal Foods
- Connect with leaders in your community to identify the foods that may be acceptable to halal observant participants without a certification.
- Educate volunteers and staff that these items may not be acceptable to every halal observant recipient.
- Halal Foods in TEFAP is an additional resources to identify what USDA foods may be acceptable without certification.